SEMB strikes to cease abroad-based academics from gathering salaries in Abia

Abia State Secondary Education Management Board, SEMB, has disclosed that some teachers who are supposed to be teaching in the state’s senior secondary schools are abroad, but still collecting salaries.

This is even as SEMB said that only 1,700 teachers were available in senior secondary schools in the state before the recent recruitment exercise carried out by Governor Alex Otti.

The Director in charge of SEMB, Mrs. Ngozi Onwubiko, made this known on Wednesday in her office while speaking to journalists about the range of reforms introduced by her Board.

Mrs. Onwubiko, who explained the reasons for the ongoing physical verification for senior secondary school teachers in Abia, said, “Do you know that some of these teachers are abroad and they will be taking salary?”

She pointed out that the verification, which is being done in coordination with the offices of the Head of Service and Accountant General, is designed to ensure that only qualified and available teachers remain on the payroll.

Mrs. Onwubiko also said that SEMB enforces a zero-tolerance policy for absenteeism and truancy among teachers, warning that any staff of the Secondary Education Management Board found or confirmed to be extorting teachers for preferred postings will be queried and punished severely.

The Director, who expressed gratitude to Governor Otti for the recruitment of more than 2,000 new teachers for senior secondary schools, said that the last employment of teachers for secondary schools in Abia took place in 2007.

Mrs. Onwubiko, however, said that 4,000 more teachers are needed in the secondary education system to meet the current demand in science and technical subjects of the 260 active schools.

The SEMB Director announced that some schools that closed down in the past have been revived by Governor Otti, with students back to study, adding that weekly sports in secondary schools would prepare students for future employment opportunities and dissuade them from deviant acts.